On my way back from the South Downs twisties I decided to go off roading. Big mistake. About 1/4 mile into some woods and off I toppled. Strangely the bike didn't seem that heavy to lift and it kept going. But how on earth do you go off roading with a behemoth like the 1150 GS. Okay the tyres aren't brilliant and the ground was a bit slippy but nothing you wouldn't normally expect. Would it make a big differenece if I changed the Tourances for TKC 80s?
Off Roading !!!
- Thread starter B4ndit
- Start date
I doubt if tourances would make a lot of difference, but TKC80`s would. I can`t see why anybody would want to go offroading on one myself, but I know many of you do. Give me something small and light anyday.
I think it will be just as heavy 
some folks manage some real difficult terrain on them 
Get more practice
Make sure you can afford it physically and financially
some folks manage some real difficult terrain on them Get more practice
Make sure you can afford it physically and financially
But that isn't the way life happens ... Roynie and I tour a lot, but we've never set out to do a real overland adventure. Even so, when you find yourself slipping and sliding through 6" of slick mud on a US highway under construction in the rain, you'll be glad of a little off-road experience.
Depends on how much offroading you do I suppose. I only want one bike and the R1150GS is great for everything. I mostly ride on road and it's great for touring but I also do some offroading and don't find the R1150GS particularly heavy (and I'm a girl 
)
The right tyres do make all the difference. I've found that Tourances are perfectly OK on dry or gravel trails, but if it's wet or muddy you really need something like TKC80s.
)The right tyres do make all the difference. I've found that Tourances are perfectly OK on dry or gravel trails, but if it's wet or muddy you really need something like TKC80s.
itspilsbury
Registered user
How many miles will a R1200GS do on a set of TKC 80s, I know its probably the same as how long is a piece of string. But If I put a set on to go touring how many miles on and off road before they would need replacing?
pinkytiff
Registered user
Furthest I've managed is ~3000 miles on the rear, probably nearly twice that on the front. That was a mixture of some Welsh & Surrey offroad stuff but in the main was tarmac miles on a trip to Maroc. If you're going to do mainly road miles you may want to consider Heidenaus offering, really in between tourances & tkc80 - and pretty cheap if you can get hold of them;-)
Heidenaus...
K60 Scouts are what I used recently on this...
[/IMG]
They have well over 6k miles on them but the rear is squaring off now because of the road use.
They served me very well in Norfolk but the sandy trails needs practise.
Tsiklonaut's favoured RTW tyre BTW, as far as I can tell.
K60 Scouts are what I used recently on this...
They have well over 6k miles on them but the rear is squaring off now because of the road use.
They served me very well in Norfolk but the sandy trails needs practise.
Tsiklonaut's favoured RTW tyre BTW, as far as I can tell.
Mac
Registered user
Practice, practice, practice, you'll get it
tyres
Doubtless will be shouted down by all the arm chair off roaders but a KC8-0 on the front and a tourenced on the back is a good compramise. You'll get good milage and it DOES handlwe ok even good in the wet and it keeps the front end secure in crap. I road mine so equipped up and down the Dalton Highway in Alaska with no probs at all (about a 1000 miles in all ). So give it a try at least you#'ll be half way to running on kc80s!.
Dave gs.
Doubtless will be shouted down by all the arm chair off roaders but a KC8-0 on the front and a tourenced on the back is a good compramise. You'll get good milage and it DOES handlwe ok even good in the wet and it keeps the front end secure in crap. I road mine so equipped up and down the Dalton Highway in Alaska with no probs at all (about a 1000 miles in all ). So give it a try at least you#'ll be half way to running on kc80s!.
Dave gs.
ian6760
Registered user
On the North Wales doo a few years ago in Llangollen, I went on the easy off road day and there was a guy with this combo on and it didn't seem to hold him back. As said the TKC-80 on the front makes all the difference, better front and back but a good compromise
1150's are great off road.
everyone who disagrees is wrong
finished the kielder K2 on mine this year. TKC shod.
Amazing if you just keep them moving, saw loads of puddle jumpers falling off around me
everyone who disagrees is wrong
finished the kielder K2 on mine this year. TKC shod.
Amazing if you just keep them moving, saw loads of puddle jumpers falling off around me
Tyres
The main advantage of the front KC80 is milage you will possibly knock out a rea on the road in 3500-4000 miles, with the tourance youiqwill get normal
milage as the front won't wear out for a long time. Good luck keep it vertical!!.
Dave GS
The main advantage of the front KC80 is milage you will possibly knock out a rea on the road in 3500-4000 miles, with the tourance youiqwill get normal
milage as the front won't wear out for a long time. Good luck keep it vertical!!.
Dave GS
Welshman
Registered user
K60 Scouts are what I used recently on this...
[/IMG]
They have well over 6k miles on them but the rear is squaring off now because of the road use.
They served me very well in Norfolk but the sandy trails needs practise.
Tsiklonaut's favoured RTW tyre BTW, as far as I can tell.
As far as I know, his preference was the 140 width, the 150 has a centre rib and is more road biased than the 140
As far as I know, his preference was the 140 width, the 150 has a centre rib and is more road biased than the 140
I'm on the 140/80/17's because I couldn't find the 150/70's and should state that the tyres I fitted had the implied center rib.
The center rib wore down after 5K miles and changed the profile of the tyre significantly. I'll post a picture tomorrow to illustrate where I'm upto with this rubber, and please bear in mind I'm working from memory and did not record experimental conditions.
Never heard of them
and the wrong profile for your bike by a long way I think.I hope you weren't on your own and had to pick that up yourself.
1150's are great off road.
everyone who disagrees is wrong
finished the kielder K2 on mine this year. TKC shod.
Amazing if you just keep them moving, saw loads of puddle jumpers falling off around me
Do love statements like this!! especially as the peeps on puddle jumpers were actually trying to go fast enough to have a decent amount of fun as opposed to tractoring around, that pretty much anyone can do
Off roading a GS is the same as driving a tractor down a muddy lane, its fun for a while, you get to feel your really narly kind of guy, but a puddle jumper just beats it hands down
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